What separates a business that grows from a business that gets acquired? In this episode, Cris sits down with founder, investor, author, and "Exit Whisperer" Carrie Kerpen to unpack the real lessons behind building, scaling, and selling an 8-figure company. Together, they discuss the biggest mistakes founders make when preparing for an exit, why visibility and PR can impact how buyers perceive your business, the role personal branding plays in increasing company value, an...
Jul 1
42 min
From early-stage startups to seven-figure brands, every founder is asking the same questions: How do I grow? Where is my audience? What actually works in PR today? In this SXSW special, we answer those questions in real time – giving founders just 5 minutes each to unlock smarter, more strategic approaches to visibility, storytelling, and growth. From scaling beyond referrals to refining your brand identity and finding the right rooms, these rapid-fire conversations reveal the patterns,...
Jun 17
45 min
What’s the most powerful metric for your brand? Shares. This week on Brandidly Speaking, Cris Gordon sits down with Jen Hayes Lee, Head of Marketing and Content at The Bump, to unpack how she’s built a brand that parents are actively recommending to one another. From scaling one of the most trusted platforms in parenting to fostering a deeply engaged community, Jen shares how a clear understanding of brand values and audience needs has been central to creating content that consist...
Jun 10
51 min
In today’s healthcare landscape, you must have both the expertise AND the ability to communicate it clearly to build genuine trust with your patients. In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, Cris sits down with Dr. Sheila Farhang, double board-certified dermatologist and founder of Avant Dermatology, to unpack what it really takes to build trust as a medical expert in the digital age. From growing her platform organically over more than a decade to becoming a go-to voice across social me...
Jun 3
53 min
What does it take to build a brand story that goes beyond surface level in the beauty industry? In this episode, Lisa Hanna, former Miss World, global political leader, and now beauty founder, shares why understanding the entire industry is the foundation for building a brand that truly stands out. After decades on the world stage and in government, Lisa entered the beauty industry to build something with meaning. And that meant learning every layer of the business, from formulati...
May 27
50 min
How do you break through in the crowded supplement market where new products are getting launched left and right? In this episode, Bridgitte Malinson, founder of Gut Personal, breaks down how she built a cult-favorite wellness brand by blending clinical credibility with community-first marketing. From strategic PR placements to organic storytelling, she focused on building trust through earned media and expert validation, positioning the brand as both authoritative and approachab...
May 20
37 min
You’re posting consistently, so why isn’t anyone sticking around? Most founders think they need better content. In reality, they’re over-editing, overthinking, and filtering out the very thing that makes people care. In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, Lilliana Vazquez (former TODAY Show + E! host turned creator) shares what turns content into community, and why it has nothing to do with being perfect. We get into the risks of showing up fully, how to handle criticism, an...
May 13
56 min
On this week’s episode, we sit down with Lisa Jauregui, Founder of BK Beauty, to break down how she turned audience feedback into a $25 million beauty brand. Before founding BK Beauty, Lisa worked in advertising, became a MAC makeup artist, and later began creating YouTube makeup tutorials while raising her kids. By consistently sharing expert advice and education, she built a loyal audience that trusted her recommendations. Through affiliate link data, Lisa gained clear insight into ex...
May 6
42 min
Finance can feel intimidating for most brand-builders and marketers but understanding the numbers might be the most powerful growth tool you have. In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, we sit down with Chris Polakowski, Executive Director of Global Operations at MMC, to unpack the financial and operational decisions that separate busy brands from profitable ones. From understanding your P&L to managing risk, Chris breaks down how finance can empower creativity and unlock smarter gr...
Apr 29
48 min
In this episode of Brandidly Speaking, we sit down with Sarah Chen-Spellings, investor & capital strategist, to talk about why understanding finances is a game‑changer for women business owners. Sarah entered the business world at just 25 and quickly found herself in rooms where major investment decisions were being made. As a young Malaysian woman building her career, she noticed a striking pattern: the people making these decisions were almost always men. That realization exposed ...
Apr 22
43 min
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